DA offers ‘best candidates’: Maimane

Pretoria - South Africans will vote for diverse, young, and dynamic candidates in the May 7 polls, DA Gauteng premier candidate Mmusi Maimane said on Monday.

“As the Democratic Alliance, we really sought out the best candidates. We have candidates of all age spectrums and from as diverse a range as possible,” he told reporters at the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) in Pretoria.

He submitted his party's candidates list, supporting documentation, and a cheque for the election financial deposit to IEC officials.

“It is an exciting day because we can stand here and say we have the most competent South Africans who will represent (us) in provincial and national legislatures.

“We take the candidates through a rigorous process, it is an open process which gives everyone the opportunity to compete.”

“I am very excited about this election, you may have seen reports this week that the ANC support is declining and that is why maybe they are hiding their lists. We want to be accountable to the people of South Africa and make sure they know who exactly they are electing,” said Maimane.

He said his party's lists were public documents.

On Sunday, City Press reported that African National Congress internal polls revealed that the party could obtain at most 45

percent of the electoral support in Gauteng.

According to the report, the ANC's internal polling showed that its support would decline from 64.4 percent in the 2009 elections.

Gauteng ANC provincial secretary David Makhura dismissed the report as a “complete fabrication”.

The IEC has set a deadline of March 12 for the submission of candidate lists and the payment of the deposits required to contest the elections.

Julius Malema's Economic Freedom Fighters went to court last week, seeking an interdict against having to pay a “hefty deposit” to the IEC when submitting candidates' lists.

Judgment was reserved on the matter, but is expected before the March 12 deadline.